By the time they hit middle school, many girls stop playing sports. A new program in Greater Victoria is trying to change that – one ride at a time.
The Tripleshot Girls Cycling Club is a brand-new initiative designed for girls aged 11 to 13, offering fun and skill-building in a safe, supportive environment.
Backed by a Sport Canada grant through Cycling Canada and Cycling BC, the club launched this summer with a simple goal: keep girls riding, learning, and connected.
“That age group of girls is at risk for dropping out of sport,” said Peg Maass Labiuk, the club’s lead coach. “It’s the time when they decide whether they’re going to continue or go a different direction. We’re hoping to pull them together and help them find other friends with similar interests.”
According to ParticipACTION, just 39 per cent of kids aged 5 to 17 are meeting national physical activity guidelines of 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity per day. Boys are twice as likely to meet that target compared to girls, with only 26 per cent of girls reaching the benchmark.
The club’s early sessions have already hit the road – literally.
Two Sunday adventures took riders to Mattick’s Farm for ice cream and downtown Victoria to watch the harbour ferries’ water ballet. The alternating Sunday schedule includes road rides one week and velodrome sessions the next, giving the girls variety and a sense of exploration.
“They know that they can go places on their bike,” said Labiuk. “It’s about building confidence and showing them how far cycling can take you.”
During one velodrome session, the girls tried fixed-gear track bikes supplied by the Greater Victoria Velodrome Association – bikes most don’t have in their garage.
Beyond the bike, Labiuk is also mentoring the next generation of coaches.
Three of B.C.’s top young female riders – Junior National Sprint champion Isla Rendle; Tendo Mukahanana, a gold and silver medallist at the Junior National Sprint Championships; and Kimberly Chen, the newly crowned U23 Women’s Provincial Criterium champion – are working toward their provincial coaching credentials as part of the club.
“It’s kind of like the phenomenon that happens when a younger athlete travels with a highly successful athlete – they learn by watching, and they start to believe they can do it too,” said Labiuk. “That’s what’s happening here. We have a culture in Tripleshot where the older riders mentor the younger ones. It’s natural.”
Labiuk’s own cycling story began at age 13.
“I went with a friend, and we took a ferry to an island and rode around all day and came back on the ferry all by ourselves. That was the hook point for me,” she said. “It really opened my eyes to how bikes can take us to some cool places.”
She would go on to race for Rutgers University and the U.S. National Team, spend seven years as a sponsored full-time cyclist, become B.C.’s first full-time provincial cycling coach, and earn NCCP certification in Canada.
Today, she sees her work with Tripleshot’s girls as a chance to pay it forward.
“It’s about carrying on the legacy,” she said. “Cycling what you’ve learned into the hands of the next generation.”
Those that are interested in the club can reach out to Peg at tripleshotgirlsclub@gmail.com.
